- TA Europe makes a donation to the dog rescue shelter SOS Arms Romania (sos-arms.com).
- We want to support the work of Georgiana Neagu who has made it her mission to help Romanian stray dogs in Făgăraș, Romania.
- There is a story behind this donation which may be sad to read but comes with a good ending.
Munich, 24 February 2021 – It was quite the usual business day when Wolfgang Schlicht and Sirius met for the first time. The quiet and good-natured dog had been a well-known guest in the Munich office by then. He sometimes spends his days there between busy team members, taking a nap, enjoying the sun rays on his back – and taking little notice when everyone around him is checking building plans, arranging client meetings and gesticulating while making phone calls.
“It was his ears that intrigued Wolfgang at first sight”, explains Jamie Wilkinson, Sirius’ human companion and Project Manager at TA Europe. “He wanted to know what the reason is behind his ears looking the way they do? Wolfgang said they look… kinda cut off”, Jamie remembers. “I asked him whether he really wanted to know – as the story behind is not nice. And indeed, he truly wanted to know.”
Sirius had been one of the many dogs rescued from the streets of Romania by Georgiana Neagu. The courageous young woman has set up a rescue shelter for the countless stray dogs trying to survive in Romania. That these dogs exists is a by-product of Romania’s development from a once rural state to a more developed one. The rural exodus of people and their migration to big towns was the starting point.
“Many people had cultivated cattle on farms before”, explains Jamie. “When they left for a new life, the farm animals like pigs, sheep and chicken were slaughtered – the dogs were simply left to themselves.” What further aggravated the problem of killing these dogs was that Romanian dog catchers were paid the equivalent of €50 per dog once they were caught and brought to a public ‘killing shelter’ – quite an incentive, given the average income in Romania amounts to only €300 per month. “Romania didn’t have any animal protection rights for a long time”, says Jamie, “and even though there were some legislative improvements, the mindset that these dogs don’t deserve a life still prevails. Sadly, it still happens that strays dogs are being mistreated and even killed”.
Georgiana Neagu, however, has made it her mission to help these dogs. She turned what once has been a place where dogs were killed into a rescue shelter – all on her own. Not only does she pay for electricity, water, food and vets to care for more than 250 dogs, she also pays the rent for the huts were the dogs live. She even takes care of the sterilisation of dogs to reduce the amount of stray dogs for the future. Last but not least, she finds new homes for these neglected creatures.
Jamie spent one week in Romania caring for stray dogs, cleaning cages and feeding them.
“She cares for these dogs and places them with people who want a pet – and that’s how I and Sirius met, after he had experienced a lot of mistreatment, as evidenced by the way his ears look”, says Jamie. In 2020, she spent one week at the dog rescue shelter together with her mum and helped feeding dogs, cleaning cages, caring for injured dogs and even driving some to the vet clinic 66 kilometers away. “I just spent a week there – but Georgiana has dedicated her life to helping these dogs”, says Jamie.
“I am more than happy that TA Europe made a donation to this rescue centre, so that Georgiana can continue her work, pay her bills and – maybe someday in the future – buy a piece of land where there are spacious areas of green grass and the dogs can play freely and fearlessly.”
